As we have noted in earlier Signs of the Times, the Jews are a people uniquely special to the LORD. He told them in Amos Ch. 3:2 ‘ You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.’

Because of this special relationship, once in the Promised Land, they had to answer for their rebellion and disobedience and eventually were punished by being dispersed throughout all nations. God had also warned that they would always stand out as being different, being shunned and considered undesirable aliens. Deuteronomy 28:65 ‘And among these nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest: but the LORD shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind’

They were in fact to become a ‘proverb’ I De 28:37 ‘And thou shalt become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword, among all nations whither the LORD shall lead thee.’

The Jew – a Proverb

The Prophet Isaiah (Ch43) tells that the Jews are so special because they are witnesses that God exists and keeps His promises. And no one can doubt that they have become a proverb. There have even been words coined which uniquely refer to the Jew. Here are a few from a modern dictionary *

Diaspora: ‘ The dispersion of Jews outside of Israel from the sixth century B.C. when they were exiled to Babylonia, until the present time.'

Pogrom: ‘An organized, often officially encouraged massacre or persecution of a minority group, especially one conducted against Jews.’

Holocaust: ‘The genocide of European Jews and others by the Nazis during World War II: ‘

Anti-Semitism: ‘Hostility toward or prejudice against Jews or Judaism. Discrimination against Jews. ‘

These are words which apply only to Jews. To show how universal these words are – here is ‘Holocaust’ translated into Swahili ‘sadaka ya kuteketezwa’, and ‘Anti-Semitism’ into Icelandic ‘Gyoingahatur’!

That the Jews have become a literal ‘proverb’ can be seen in English Literature, which up until this Century often depicted the Jew as "a monied, cruel, lecherous, avaricious outsider tolerated only because of his golden hoard"**.Take Fagin, for example, in Oliver Twist (widely seen as one of the most grotesque Jews in English literature.**) or Shakespeare’s Shylock demanding his ‘pound of flesh’ (A merchant of Venice). This play was broadcast over the radio, by the Nazis shortly after the pogrom known as Kristallnacht for propaganda purposes and to justify their persecution of helpless Jews.

The Star of David

Today, even in our ‘enlightened age’ of ‘human rights’ it is of no surprise that God’s promise still stands and the Jew is still a proverb, persecuted and mis-understood. This never seems to change. In 1941, German Jews were required to wear a yellow Star of David bearing the word "Jude" ("Jew") whenever they went out. But this was not new, in 807 AD the caliph Haroun al-Raschid ordered all Jews to wear distinctive clothing and in 1215 the Catholic Fourth Lateran Council, decreed that Jews and Muslims should at all times be identifiable by their dress.

In the past this badge was intended to mark out the Jew and made him or her an easy target for persecution. Today it is the opposite, with Jews in more than one nation being warned not to wear religious dress which would provoke the local inhabitants.

Jews in Denmark were recently advised to avoid openly wearing religious symbols and dress when moving about Copenhagen due to anti-Israeli sentiments. They were advised to wear their skull caps only in the synagogue; not to "speak Hebrew loudly" or wear Star of David jewellery. Jewish schoolchildren were also warned about wearing skullcaps outside school. Denmark isn’t alone in this form of anti-Semitism, in September, a Jewish rabbinical college in Germany similarly warned its students against wearing skullcaps in public, after a Rabbi was attacked by four Arab youths in Berlin, and similar attacks have occurred in France.

The UN Art Exhibition

Throughout History, foreigners have always been objects of suspicion to individuals in the local population, but today we are seeing the governments of Nations displaying anti-Israel and thus anti-Jewish tendencies. The United Nations appears complicit in this. Immediately after the Palestinian Authority was granted Non-Member Observer status, their UN representative opened an art exhibit entitled "Palestine - Memories Dreams Perseverance." It is located at the public entrance of the UN headquarters and depicts 'Palestine' as including the entire State of Israel.

The titles of the art bear titles such as, "Homeless, "Delirious in Exile" and "to Jerusalem We Travel." At worst, it eliminates Israel; at best, it is an attempt to claim that Israel was given Palestinian land, despite the fact that there was no such nation when Israel was formed. One display shows all of the names of Arab terrorist organizations in the shape of the Land of Israel.

Israel in God’s plan

Its not only the Governments of the world which seem to want to sideline the Jews and their Nation of Israel, the Catholic Church also wishes to reduce the Jews to a nonentity. Archbishop Cyrille Bustros, speaking in the Vatican (October 11, 2010) stated ‘For Christians, one can no longer talk of the land promised to the Jewish people. This promise was nullified by Christ. There is no longer a favored people, a chosen people; all men and women of every country have become the chosen people....’

Bible Readers will find this completely unscriptural as the Apostle Paul stated in Romans 11

1 I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

2 God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew.

And he goes on in this chapter to state that the Jews have been cast off for a period in order that the Gentiles might be given the hope of the Gospel but that they, the Jews, will be grafted in again (vv 23-24)

In Ephesians (3:6) he also spoke of the revealed ‘mystery’ of Jew and Gentile being one in Christ and the Gentiles rather than being the only ‘Chosen People’ are joint heirs with the Jews in the Promises made to Abraham.

Has God finished with the Jews?

God has not finished with the Jews as Catholicism would have us believe. The evidence of the words of the Prophets demonstrates this to be true. If God was intending to write the Jews off completely when Christ came, why would He have made so many promises of restoration to Israel? Not only were these promises of restoration, they were also promises that in the Last Days when the Lord Jesus Christ returns , the Jews would be respected and revered by all. They will be the head and not the tail (Deut 28:13).

The Prophet Zephaniah promises that after The Lord has raised up the Nations and ‘poured out His indignation upon them (Ch. 3:8) He will bless Israel and Jerusalem abundantly Ch.3:14 ¶ Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem.

15 The LORD hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the LORD, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more.

16 In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: and to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack.

17 The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.

18 I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly, who are of thee, to whom the reproach of it was a burden.

19 Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee: and I will save her that halteth, and gather her that was driven out; and I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame.

20 At that time will I bring you again, even in the time that I gather you: for I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, saith the LORD.

Imagine, the Jews no longer a proverb but having praise and fame in all the earth!

Imagine, the Jews respected because God is with them Zechariah 8:23 ‘ Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.’

Imagine, no longer will Rome or any other City claim to be ‘the Holy City’ this will only apply to Jerusalem which will be the Centre for worship for the whole world.

Isa 52:1 ¶ Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.

Isa 2:3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

And this is not imagination, this is God’s declared will which will be carried out at the Return of Christ. Now is the time that Jew and Gentile need to listen to the Gospel message and obey its command to believe, repent and be baptised if they wish to share in the Promises which God has made. Now is the call to allow Christ to dwell in your hearts through faith and let his words be your guide so that you can be fit for the glorious Kingdom to come.

Ephesians 3:14 ¶ For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;

19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.